What is the Opposite of Danmei? Exploring Counterparts to the Chinese Boys‘ Love Genre

Danmei (耽美), sometimes translated as "tanbi", is a popular genre of Chinese fiction focused on male/male romantic relationships. Since its emergence in China in the 1980s and 90s, danmei has amassed a significant following, with numerous novels, donghua, live action series, and other media catering to the genre‘s fans.

But what about genres depicting other types of relationships? In particular, what is the female counterpart to danmei in Chinese media? Below I‘ll explore the danmei genre, its history and characteristics, and the less prominent genres that could be considered its "opposites":

The Danmei Genre

Danmei is the Chinese term for the rapidly growing boys‘ love (BL) genre that originated in Japan. The genre features homoerotic relationships between male characters, intended primarily for female audiences.

Some key aspects that characterize danmei/BL stories:

• Focus on romantic/sexual relationships between male characters
• Written by female authors for a female audience
• Features archetypal character dynamics like "gong" (top) and "shou" (bottom)
• Often features platonic intimacy that develops into romantic love
• Frequently occurs in fantasy, historical, or alternate universe settings

Danmei stories are quite varied in their content – some focus on romantic fluff and drama, others tell epic adventures and tragedies. There are also more pornographic danmei works. What they share is an emphasis on male/male relationships between the central characters.

The term "danmei" comes from the Japanese word "tanbi" meaning "aesthetics", reflecting the genre‘s roots in Japan. However, Chinese danmei has evolved beyond Japanese BL and now has distinctive characteristics and demographics.

Danmei has exploded in popularity in China since the 2000s. Major Chinese danmei novels often get adapted into live action dramas, donghua, manga, and more. Major works include Mo Dao Zu Shi, Heaven Official‘s Blessing, and Scumbag System.

The Female Counterpart – Baihe

The female same-sex counterpart to danmei is known as bǎihé (Chinese: 百合; lit. ‘lilies‘). This is an orthographic reborrowing of the Japanese term yuri, meaning "lily", which refers to media focused on intimate relationships between women.

However, baihe is not nearly as widespread or popular as danmei is currently. Some reasons for this:

• It does not have as large or dedicated of a female readership seeking out LGBT romance content.

• Stigma against LGBT relationships remains stronger when it comes to women rather than fictional male characters.

• China‘s female LGBT community lacks the economic influence and organizational power that the male danmei market wields.

Still, there are Chinese anime, web novels, and other media that do focus on female/female romantic relationships and could be classified under baihe. For example, the popular Tian Guan Ci Fu donghua has lesbian characters and subtext. But overall such works are rare compared to the ubiquitous danmei stories.

In contrast, the Japanese equivalents of danmei and baihe – yaoi and yuri – are much more balanced in popularity and visibility. So why has baihe failed to take off in China the way danmei has? There are a few cultural factors:

• Patriarchal values make female homosexuality more taboo and controversial.

• China‘s censorship policies strongly discourage portrayals of LGBT relationships in media.

• Lack of established genres and tropes that draw female readers to explore LGBT themes.

So in summary, while baihe technically exists as the female parallel to danmei, it has limited visibility or works associated with it so far. The boys‘ love genre overwhelmingly dominates Chinese LGBT-themed media currently.

Chinese Genres Focusing on Hetero Relationships

Chinese media has numerous genres focusing on male/female romantic relationships that could also be considered a counterpart or contrast to predominantly homoerotic danmei:

Historical Romance – Stories set in ancient or imperial China with a central heterosexual romance, such as Story of Ming Lan. Often involves complex schemes and conflicts.

Wuxia Romance – Martial arts fantasy with romantic subplot, like the Return of the Condor Heroes series. May feature a love triangle.

Xianxia Romance – Fantasy romance involving cultivation/immortality and a heterosexual couple, eg Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.

Republican Drama – Romance set in early 20th century China, dealing with tensions between tradition and modernity.

Urban Romance – Contemporary stories about modern city-dwellers navigating careers, family and relationships.

The list could go on and on, but suffice to say that Chinese media has no shortage of genres focused on male/female relationships, whether set in historical, speculative fiction, or contemporary settings.

Some danmei works do incorporate female characters and romantic subplots as well. However, the core draw of the genre remains the homoerotic tension between the male leads. For readers seeking Chinese fiction primarily focused on heterosexual couplings, there are many other genres to choose from besides danmei.

Genres Centered on Non-Romantic Relationships

Of course, not all genres need to focus on romantic love, heterosexual or otherwise. Here are some examples of popular Chinese fictional genres all about non-romantic relationships:

Wuxia – Ancient martial arts adventures without emphasis on romance, like Legend of the Condor Heroes.

Xianxia – Fantasy world of cultivation/immortality, eg I Shall Seal the Heavens. May explore master/disciple relationships.

Historical Fiction – Stories about power struggles, political intrigue and war like Three Kingdoms.

Military Fiction – Focuses on brotherhood between soldiers or officers, like Soaring Dragon.

Literary Fiction – Explores family ties, friendships and other interpersonal relationships, like To Live.

Mystery – Solving crimes and mysteries is the focus, not romantic partnerships.

Horror/Thriller – Builds suspense and fear without emphasis on romance.

The non-romantic genres demonstrate that, while danmei is currently very visible, Chinese fiction extends far beyond just romantic motifs, featuring many stories about non-sexual bonds and relationships.

For readers less interested in romantic themes, there are plenty of alternatives centering on male friendship, family, adventure, mystery and other themes instead. Of course, some non-romantic works do also attract shipping from fans, but it is not a core emphasis of the stories.

The Pop Culture Divide

Reviewing the landscape of Chinese fictional genres reveals a divide where danmei dominates media explicitly focused on male LGBT relationships, while genres about male/female romance or non-romantic themes are much more prominent.

However, this does not mean that danmei fans are segregated or looked down upon within Chinese pop culture and fandoms. On the contrary, danmei novels and adaptations are hugely influential across Chinese online media. Even people not actively following the genre tend to be aware of the major danmei works.

Rather than hostility, the attitude is mostly that danmei appeals to a specific demographic – young, mostly female fans drawn to romantic amd homoerotic themes – while other audiences are served by the many other genre options. This contrasts with the stigma around BL content in some other cultures.

In summary, while genres centered on heterosexual romance, female/female relationships, or non-romantic themes can all be considered counterparts to the popular boys‘ love danmei genre, none have quite replicated danmei‘s meteoric rise and dominance in its own niche.

However, readers not interested in danmei content still have plenty of other Chinese media catering to various preferences, whether for wuxia adventures, xianxia fantasy, or more down-to-earth relationship drama. Though it captures much attention, danmei does not define Chinese fiction as a whole.